Packaging method and means



Jan. 21, 1964 c. A. BAUMAN PACKAGING METHOD AND MEANS Filed April 20,1959 N A W A Z .M M.. n F. m Mmm C w M. Hl|.|| N @@J Illllm 5. 0 U- m 0Jlill Pn G O ,br W an M a/u .M M,

United States Patent O 3,118,535 PACKAGEG It@ HOD AND MEANS Charles A.Bauman, Suern, NX., assigner to Witco Chemical Company, Inc., New York,NKY., a corporation of Belaware Filed Apr. 20, 195%, Ser. No. 897,430 2Claims. (Cl. 20o-65) This invention relates to a packaging method andstructures for effecting the method. More particularly it relates to Ianeconomical method and structures for eliminating damage :to unitpackages when packed, shipped and stored in wholesale lots.

Heretoiore, cans having dome-tops with built-in nozzles very `frequentlyhave suffered compression damage during shipping and storage. This isdue to the fact that conventional corrugated shipping cases are notproperly designed for this 4type of lcan in that they do not havesufficient structural rigidity but rely partly upon the contents forsupport when multiple cas are stacked in storage and shipping. In manyinstances the bottom tiers of stacked cases containing cans or this typemay carry excessive loads. Flat-topped cans in such containers help tocarr] this load and are not darn-aged, but nozzle-topped cans will notsup-port the load and can be readily Kand permanently damaged.

This problem has been recognized, particularly in the detergent yandcosmetic industries. A number of attempts have been made to overcome.this problem, such as using egg-'crate type of top-to-bottomseparation, with each can nested in its own compartment, or using threeinserts, narnely a bottom pad, a vertical divider and a top pad. Thecost of ythe first is prohibitive, particularly where the content is tosell at comparatively low price such as in the case of detergents; andthe second, although providing addi-tionm protection, has not preventeddamage, particularly to the central portion of the contents of theshipping case.

According to the present invention, I have provided a very simple singleinsert which provides the necessary structural rigidity to the shippingcase and prevents damage to unit packages therein, whether of thedat-top or the domed-top with built-in nozzle type.

It is accordingly a principal object of the invention to eliminatedamage yto the unit packages of wholesale lot package-assemblies lby amethod and means requiring a minimum of labor, time and material.

The method and structure of the present invention are designed toaccomplish heir objectives without in any way causing disturbance andchanges from regular practices which utilize automatic machines toperform many steps of the generic process. They are also particularlydesigned to eect the requisite improvements of strength, rigidity andprotective capabilities in less time and with less labor and material.The invention accordingly accomplishes its objectives by providing asimple unitary insert which is assembled after the unit packages havebeen placed in the box or 'carton in which they are to be shipped andstored in wholesale lots. The 'box or carton is then ready to be sealedand shipped or stored.

A particular feature of the inserts `of the invention is the provisionof small pointed notches to facilitate their introduction in the desiredmanner.

The objects, `features and `advantages of the invention will be morereadily perceived after perusal of the tollowing detailed description ofspecific illustrative en bodiments considered in conjunction withaccompanying drawings in which:

FIUURE l is a perspective view of a case and an insert according to thepresent invention partially disposed about several rows of cans;

3,ll8,535 Patented Jan. 2l, 1964 ice FIGURE 2 is a top-plan view of thedie-cut and prescored insert before folding;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a shipping casecontaining six rows of four cans and having the insert according to thepresent invention positioned therein; and

EiGUR-E 4 is a top plan View `ot a case and insert according to thepresent invention.

Referring now to FGURES l Ithrough 4, there is shown :a packing case itlof the general type with which the present invention is concerned.Illustratively, this case is shown as being of ya length suilicient toaccomodate six rows of `cans and a width sufcient to accommodate lfourcans per row. Case lil is of the corrugated box type generally referredto as regular slotted case having a bottom and a top formed by `a pairoff outside or outer flaps land a pair of inside or inner aps, with eachinside flap covering approximately one-third of the length of the box(two rows of cans) and each outside ilap covering approximately one-halfthe entire width.

The individual cans -12 are of the so-called non-drip type having abuilt-in nozzle [18 in the domed top thereof. These type cans are usedextensively throughout the detergent and cosmetic elds and usually aremade of a metal body and rmetal top with a plastic nozzle and captherefor inserted in the top.

As Vmay be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, when the standard shipping cartondi? containing twenty-tour of these cans i2 is closed, a double layer ofcorrugated board covers the end two rows of cans but only a single layerof board covers the middle two rows of cans. On the bottom this is notimportant, since little damage can be done and there is a -iairly widearea of support. However, at the top of the case where the nozzles andcaps stick up, the bearing area v:for carrying a load is relativelysmall and the tops of the cans can be `readily damaged. This isparticularly so since in standard shipping and storage practice manycases of these cans are stacked one on top oi the other to the pointwhere it is not uncommon to have loads of up to five hundred pounds persquare foot on the bottom case. This obviously puts a substantial loadupon the central two rows of cans and kfrequently dents die tops las aresult of the downward pressure exerted through lthe caps and nozzles.

Cartons of sufficient structural strength are prohibitive from the coststandpoint so that some other means of preventing the damage -isnecessary. In the packaging of these cases, automatic case packers areused which can load the cans into the cases as fast as the high-speedlling machines can till the cans with the desired uid. Rates in theneighborhood of three hundred cans a minnte are not unusual in this typeof operation. The attempt to solve the problem of insufficientprotection of the cans against vertical compression by merely placinginto the case two sheets `of corrugated board of the sa-me size as thecase, one below and one above the cans, and inserting a longitudinalinsert, likewise of corrugated board, between the cans, has not beensatisfactory ttor at least two reasons: One, the cans still are damageddue to the fact that insuicient support in the central section ismaintained; and two, an excessively large amount of manual labor isrequired to put the inserts in, since the automatic machinery will nothandle them. Thus solution thus becomes questionable :from thestandpoint of protection of contents as well as the economicalstandpoint and is justiiied 4only as long as no better method isavail-able. The present invention is therefore the answer to theproblem.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is shown an insert according to thepresent invention which consists essentially of a single piece ofcorrugated board of the same Weight as the standard case 1). In theillustrative ernbodiment the insert 2li has a length equal to twice theheight of the cans to be placed in the carton plus twice the diameter ofthe row or rows of cans to be covered by it. 'The width of the insert2L* is equal to the sum of the diameters of the number of cans to beinserted in a row within the case. The length, of course, could bevaried so as to be twice the height of the can plus any integral numberof diameters of the can, and the width could be any desired distance.Each end of the insert Ztl has diecut therein a series of inverted Vswhich are positioned so as to lfall at the line of Contact between twoadjacent cans in adjacent rows `of cans. It should also Ybe noted thatthe corrugations in insert 26 extend lengthwise thereof to presentvertical corrugations in leg portions when inserted in a case.

In use the insert 2t? is folded at pre-scored lines 27 to the inverted Ushaped configuration shown in FGURE 1 and placed in the carton lll aboutthe middle two rows of the cans 12 in the manner shown in lFIGURES l and4. The insert 2li forms a rigid channel beam-like reinforcement in thecentral portion of case it) giving greatly increased support throughoutthe weakest portion thereof. There is thus created, for purposes `ofcornpression strength, a separate case for each eight cans instead ofone case for twenty-four cans. Also, as may be seen in FIGURE 3, withthe insert 2li in the closed case position, there are now two completelayers of corrugated board over the tops of all cans with completesupport throughout the entire width.

The V shaped slots 22 are provided to permit very rapid and simpleinsertion of the insert into the lled case 10. The cut-outs 22 aresufficiently wide so as to provide a sort of -camming action as theinsert is placed between adjacent rows of cans to spread them apart andguide the entrance of the downwardly extending leg portion 26 betweenthe adjacent rows of cans l2. While l have shown four cut-outs 22 it isobvious that the cut-outs could be of `any desired number, dependingupon the number of cans per row, and would be spaced to correspond withthe lines of `Contact between the cans in adjacent rows.

With this particular insert it has been found that the [load-bearingstrength of the closed case -is increased by about two hundred percentand completely effective protection from damage by vertical compressionis provided for all cans in the case under all normal conditions ofstorage and shipping. Also, one man can easily keep up with theautomatic case packing machines even when rua at a speed in excess ofthree hundred cans a minute where at least two men would be needed tohandle the protective inserts presently in general use.

It is thus apparent that I have provided a very simple and economicalinsert for standard corrugated packing cases that provides greatlyincreased structural strength and protection for the contents.

While there is given above a certain specic example of this inventionand its application in practical use, it should be understood that thisis not intended to be exhaust-ive or to be limiting of the invention. Onthe contrary, this illustration and explanation herein are given inorder to acquaint others skilled in the art with this invention and theprinciples thereof and a suitable rnanner of its application 4inpractical use, so that others skilled in the art may be enabled tomodify the invention and to adapt and app-ly it in numerous fonms eachas may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use.

I claim:

1. A corrugated board package assembly for use with automatic packingmachines, said assembly comprising in combination a rectangularcorrugated box having outside and inside flaps at the top and bottomthereof to forni top and bottom closures for the box, said outside iiapseach having a width sufficient to cover one-half the width of the boxand said inside flaps having equal lengths less than onehalf the lengthof said box; a plurality of easily daniageable containers occupyirn7 theinterior of said box, said containers having domed tops with built-innozzles and being arranged in rows in the box in upright position withtheir domed tops adjacent the top of the box; and an independent threesided channel-shaped insert member of corrugated board having twodepending straight sides extending vetrically downward between adjacentrows of said containers to the bottoni of said box and a top sidejoining said depending sides adjacent and between the ends of said topinside flaps, said insert being inserted into said box after it has beenloaded with said containers and enclosing at least one rov.I ofcontainers, the depending sides of said insert being engaged at theirtop and bottom edges by the ends of said inside flaps and providingintermedime unitary supports for the upper outside flaps of said boxwhen the latter are folded intoV their box closin T position.

2. A protective and strengthening corrugated board insert in`combination with a corrugated box containing a plurality of likecylindrical containers arranged in upright position in a plurality ofrows, each container having a projectin" and easily damageable topportion of greatly reduced cross sectional area, said box having outsideand inside ilaps at the top and bottom thereof, said outside flaps eachhaving a width sufficient to cover one-half the width of the box andsaid inside flaps having equal lengths less than one-half the length ofsaid box, said protective and strengthening insert being insertedvertically in a previously loaded box in unsecured relation thereto andhaving an inverted U-shaped cross sectional contiguration comprising atop portion and two vertically depending straight leg portions of equallength, said top portion having a length substantially equal to thewidth of said box and having a width such that its longitudinal edgesabut the inner edges of the top inside carton liaps when the latter arefolded into place, the height of each of said leg portions beingsubstantially' equal to that of said box whereby the top portion of saidinsert is rigidly supported at a height substantially coextensive withthe top of said box, said protective insert when inserted in the boxenclosing at least one row of said containers with the top portionthereof overlying the reduced top portions of thc containers, said legportions having a plurality of spaced notches along their lower edgesfor engaging the points of contact between containers in adjacent rowsto facilitate installation of the protective insert, said depending legportions providing intermediate unitary supports for the upper outsideliaps of said box when the latter are folded into their box closingposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS1,328,524 Knapp Ian. 20', 1920 1,693,622 Spaulding Dec. 4, i9282,012,954 Burns Sept. 3, i935 2,074,160 Bergstein Mar. lo, i9372,124,808 White Iuly 26, l938 2,632,593 Minster et al. Mar. 24, 1953

1. A CORRUGATED BOARD PACKAGE ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH AUTOMATIC PACKINGMACHINES, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A RECTANGULARCORRUGATED BOX HAVING OUTSIDE AND INSIDE FLAPS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOMTHEREOF TO FORM TOP AND BOTTOM CLOSURES FOR THE BOX, SAID OUTSIDE FLAPSEACH HAVING A WIDTH SUFFICIENT TO COVER ONE-HALF THE WIDTH OF THE BOXAND SAID INSIDE FLAPS HAVING EQUAL LENGTHS LESS THAN ONE-HALF THE LENGTHOF SAID BOX; A PLURALITY OF EASILY DAMAGEABLE CONTAINERS OCCUPYING THEINTERIOR OF SAID BOX, SAID CONTAINERS HAVING DOMED TOPS WITH BUILT-INNOZZLES AND BEING ARRANGED IN ROWS IN THE BOX IN UPRIGHT POSITION WITHTHEIR DOMED TOPS ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE BOX; AND AN INDEPENDENT THREESIDED CHANNEL-SHAPED INSERT MEMBER OF CORRUGATED BOARD HAVING TWODEPENDING STRAIGHT SIDES EXTENDING VETRICALLY DOWNWARD BETWEEN ADJACENTROWS OF SAID CONTAINERS TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID BOX AND A TOP SIDE JOININGSAID DEPENDING SIDES ADJACENT AND BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID TOP INSIDEFLAPS, SAID INSERT BEING INSERTED INTO SAID BOX AFTER IT HAS BEEN LOADEDWITH SAID CONTAINERS AND ENCLOSING AT LEAST ONE ROW OF CONTAINERS, THEDEPENDING SIDES OF SAID INSERT BEING ENGAGED AT THEIR TOP AND BOTTOMEDGES BY THE ENDS OF SAID INSIDE FLAPS AND PROVIDING INTERMEDIATEUNITARY SUPPORTS FOR THE UPPER OUTSIDE FLAPS OF SAID BOX WHEN THE LATTERARE FOLDED INTO THEIR BOX CLOSING POSITION.